The San Francisco 49ers received some disheartening news from today's MRI on Brock Purdy. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the quarterback suffered a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing elbow and will require surgery. The hope is that Purdy simply requires to have the injury repaired, making him available for training camp. However, undergoing reconstruction would lengthen the recovery time.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy suffered a complete tear of the UCL in his throwing elbow and will undergo surgery, per sources.
Purdy is getting second opinions, but the initial hope is he can undergo a repair — not reconstruction (AKA Tommy John) — and will be ready for training camp. pic.twitter.com/dFGQGpPALw
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2023
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Purdy is estimated to require six months of recovery time. The 49ers' other young quarterback, Trey Lance, is rehabbing from his second ankle surgery but is expected to return in time for OTAs. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to hit free agency.
Brock Purdy suffered a torn UCL that will sideline him six months, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2023
Purdy was hit on the arm by Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick with seven minutes left in the first quarter of the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. The play was reviewed and ruled a fumble recovered by the Eagles.
"My arm just felt like it stretched out," Purdy explained after the game. "I just felt like, really, a lot of just shocks all over, from my elbow down to my wrist, front and back. Just pain, really, all over."
The rookie quarterback tried to test his arm on the sidelines but admitted he couldn't throw further than 10 yards.
"Even in those throws, it was painful," Purdy admitted.
Provided it's a UCL repair, which is the early hope as @TomPelissero notes, Brock Purdy would likely be throwing in three months, back fully around six — right around the start of #49ers training camp. https://t.co/SpA3b8ckQx
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 30, 2023
He returned to the game in the second quarter, but only because backup Josh Johnson was ruled out due to a concussion. The 49ers had no other options besides putting a non-quarterback, like running back Christian McCaffrey, under center. It was something head coach Kyle Shanahan considered, too.
"Yeah, we had some plays up [for me] that were ready to go," McCaffrey revealed during his post-game presser.
The only other quarterback on the roster was Jimmy Garoppolo, who was inactive on Sunday. Garoppolo is still recovering from the broken foot he sustained on December 4 and was not healthy enough to suit up. There was a chance he might start practicing again during the upcoming week, preparing to serve as Purdy's backup, had the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl.
San Francisco made Purdy the last overall pick (No. 262) in the 2022 NFL Draft. Including the playoffs, he completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 1,943 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions during his rookie campaign.
The typical rehab for UCL repair breaks down roughly into 4 phases:
— Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D. (@DrNiravPandya) January 30, 2023
1. Weeks 0-6: protecting the repair while regaining mobility
2: Weeks 6-12: strengthening
3. Week 12: beginning a throwing program
4. Week 20-24: ramp up back to full throwing / playing